“Preached with power in the morning, and spoke freely to a congregation in the evening.” (46)

Interestingly, I haven’t noticed a lot of reflection on the content of Asbury’s preaching in his journal, though he occasionally references his biblical text.

But I love how Asbury emphasizes the experiential nature of preaching. Asbury seems to gauge his effectiveness by his experience of God rather than the content of his message. The presence of God is the most important factor in preaching!

I’ve always tended to gauge the success of my preaching by whether or not I felt liberty, as well. This was especially true during the early days when I was trying to discern my calling.

The content matters, of course, but in preaching, God’s presence is essential!